You just can’t give the ball away so often in those bad positions

Jose Mourinho has a 100 per cent record as a manager at Turf Moor but until yesterday had failed to secure a single home victory as a manager against us but he put that right with Tottenham’s 5-0 win against us.

He was, as you would expect, enthusing after the game and said: “From the first minute you could immediately feel it, the boys were absolutely fantastic. I don’t want a team to lose a game and to be depressed and sad, you need the reaction, you need that anger and today, from the first minute, everyone felt we were there.

“What can I say? It was an amazing performance in every detail of the game, the goals we scored, the quality of the football we played, the dominance, the defensive process, the clean sheet, the three kids coming off the bench, Troy’s debut in the Premier League, fans happy, amazing goals, both halves, an amazing performance.

“Sonny’s goal was incredible, the others as well, the combination for Moussa’s goal, the two shots from Harry, tremendous football. It could have been more, we were so, so good.”

It was a first clean sheet for him as Spurs boss; they’ve conceded two goals in each of their other games since he took over. He added: “Yes, I’m very happy with that. I told the boys at half-time that the clean sheet should be a collective ambition, not something that belongs to the goalkeeper or the centre backs, everybody. I could give an example of Lucas, he was one of the players further from our goal but his commitment in the defensive process was very strong.”

Sean Dyche was left counting the cost of three defeats in eight days for the Clarets. “It’s been a week of reality,” he said. We made two really big mistakes against Palace and got punished, Manchester City were too good for us and then today, again, that’s the reality of this league. There’s a massive gulf in the Premier League, so I’m not too despondent at the minute.

“If you catch these teams on the wrong day, you get hurt. You have to be right on the top of your game and maybe they’ll have a quiet one, or you get a decision go your way. In the last two games that hasn’t happened. We’ve caught two teams who are really hot, and we haven’t been as hot as we need to be. We didn’t really start with the edge you need, and I think they capitalised on pretty much every bad decision. We gave away the ball five times and they scored from all five counters. When you catch the top sides in that kind of mood, they can do that, but we have to read the situations better and react.

“We knew they conceded goals, and even at 0-2 I felt we could still get at them and we had two golden chances. I’m not remotely saying they would have got us anything, but it could have given us a foothold and then you wonder.

“We’ve had a really tough week though and we are depleted at the minute. We have as many injuries to key players as I can remember, which doesn’t help, bit onwards and upwards; that’s the way it is. We’ve done it before, and we have to continue doing it. We carry a small squad and it’s a challenge. I’ve said before this is as competitive a squad as I’ve had, but you have to go out and show it.

“There’s no lack of effort though, so now it’s about re-motivating them, keeping them at it and believing and ironing out the basics, because you just can’t give the ball away so often in those bad positions.”

He did have words of praise for one of his players, Dwight McNeil who was the youngest on view for the Clarets. “Dwight was fantastic again,” the manager said. “He is a fantastic talent and I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s doing. He’s a young man who, as you saw today, is taking on the Premier League and he’s been outstanding.

“Even today, when the game has gone at three and four, he is still working and trying to open chances up. The kid has strength and the moral courage to have the ball, which is a massive strength in the Premier League and he’s also got physical power. He’s a shining light lately and I said to some of the older boys that someone like that can invigorate you. Seeing someone like that, at his game like that, and taking it on, should give you a lift.”